Wednesday, 13 November 2013

Joining the Party.

I thought of a phrase today which just about sums up the way things have been for the past two or three years:

Just when you think it’s safe to go back in the water another shark turns up.

Yes, that will do nicely.

*  *  *

Notwithstanding the above whinge, however, I’ve become increasingly aware of yet another bit of abuse being perpetrated on the English language by the great unwashed. Having spent years getting hot under the collar by the confusion of ‘you’re’ with ‘your,’ ‘apples’ with ‘apple’s,’ and ‘imply’ with ‘infer,’ I now have to contend with people getting ‘compare with’ and ‘compare to’ wrong. They mean different things; they do.

But I don’t suppose it really matters except to pedants like me, which is why I’ve ordered one of these hats. I think it will suit me.

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